


Exodus 20:12

by rainbowdracula



Series: Filius [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Peter, Adoption, Alternate Universe, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4345442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowdracula/pseuds/rainbowdracula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt Murdock ended up adopting Peter Parker.</p><p>Years later, a spider starts to spin its web in Hell's Kitchen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exodus 20:12

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/3230.html?thread=6147230#cmt6147230) on the Daredevil kink meme.
> 
> I already love this AU so much guys.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

_Exodus 20:12_

 

"Does Hell's Kitchen have a new vigilante? There's been eye witness reports of a strange, spider-themed man crawling around the alleyways of the city. People are calling him, what else, Spiderman..."

On the couch, watching the news, Peter's heart upticked, and Matt's broke.

"Have you met this guy, Dad?" Peter asked.

"Can't say I have," Matt said, thoughts spiraling down to where he went wrong. "Must be avoiding me."

"Daredevil's pretty scary," Peter laugh. "Though Spiderman can crawl up walls."

"Can he now?" Matt murmured. He wondered if he was becoming his father, trying to raise a son to use his brain instead of his fists and failing. Maybe the Devil was still in the Murdock boys.

"I gotta get going," Peter said. Matt could hear the way all of those gangly limbs moved in the air with sudden grace he hadn't before, even after Matt's basic lessons on self-defense. There was the smell of blood and the city clinging to him. Matt's heart ached.

"Have a good day," Matt said. "Do you want spaghetti tonight? I'll make sure to make a ton, considering how much you're eating me out of house and home."

"That sounds good!" Peter yelled as he raced out the door. Matt waited until the door slammed shut before he broke down.

 

-

 

"Sometimes I wonder if I've been a bad father."

Lantom was not surprised to see Matthew sitting amongst the pews. He was surprised to hear that come out of his mouth.

"Peter's a good kid," Lantom assured. He had baptized Peter when he was four, gave him his first communion, watched him run around the church playground.

"He ended up too much like me," Matt said with a sardonic little laugh. "Too much of a Murdock boy, after all."

"Got the Devil in him?" Lantom asked cautiously.

"There's a spider in Hell's Kitchen," Matt replied. Lantom sucked in a breath.

"Teenagers keep secrets," Lantom sighed. "Of course, _yours_ would be keeping _this_ type of secret."

Matt snorted. Lantom gripped his shoulder.

"Peter's still a good kid, you raised him well," he said. "He believes in justice, protecting the weak..."

"Using violence instead of words, just like his old man," Matt said. He stood. "Thank you, Father."

Lantom watched him leave, frown etched on to his face.

 

-

 

The din of Hell's Kitchen melted away as Matt listened for one specific sound, one he could pick out from a crowd of millions.

He found it in an alley, surrounded by armed thugs. Matt's breath caught in his throat.

"Having a good night of skulking about in dark allies?" Peter joked, because that boy was incapable of keeping his mouth shut. "Sorry to break up the drug deal pow-wow, but selling narcotics in the Kitchen is no bueno."

"You're not Daredevil!"

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Peter snorted, and back flipped off the wall.

Fear thudded in Matt's veins at the sounds of guns and knives being drawn at his boy. His Peter, who he had comforted and protected and nurtured, who he had tried to keep from this side of himself, the grime and muck of the city streets.

Matt jumped into the fray.

He was brutal, even more than usual, leaving them with broken bones and bleeding wounds. In his ears was the rapid thumps of Peter's fright.

When the thugs were still, Peter found his voice.

 

"Sorry to tread on your turf, Red," Peter said. "But I thought I'd give you a hand..."

"We're going to go up on to the roof and have a _discussion_ ," Matt said. He did not use the low growl of Daredevil. He used his Dad voice.

Peter gulped.

"I can explain-..."

"That was not a suggestion."

They made their way to the roof, Peter shifting uncomfortably. Nervousness thrummed through him.

"I cannot believe you," Matt seethed. "Going behind my back, barely trained beyond some self-defense, wearing Spandex you got from old swimwear and athletic clothes..."

"You weren't that much better when you started out!" Peter yelled. "You wore Under Armour and a ripped up T-shirt!"

"Because I was a fucking idiot with no other resources!" Matt yelled. Peter recoiled – Matt never raised his voice like that around him. "When were you going to tell me about whatever freak accident gave you the ability to crawl up walls? When you came home with a three inch deep stab wound? I can't believe you'd be so reckless, I raised you better than this—"

"I was looking for stuff about my biological dad, okay?"

Matt was shocked into silence. Peter's breath was shaky like it was before he cried.

"I didn't...you're my real dad, and I love you, and I didn't want you to think I didn't know that," Peter said. "But I found his old briefcase, and I ended up at Oscorp. There was this room full of spiders, and I didn't know what to do..."

Peter's body trembled. "I wanted you to be proud of me."

Matt pulled Peter into a bone crushing hug.

"I _am_ proud of you," Matt promised. "Always. I know I can't stop you from doing this – you're way too much like me – but I can teach you how to do it properly."

Peter hiccupped. Matt kissed his forehead.

"Thanks, Dad," Peter said. "I'm sorry. About lying and sneaking around."

"You're still grounded until college," Matt declared. Peter groaned in protest.

 

-

 

Matt could remember Peter's first day of school in vivid detail.

The elementary school – Catholic, recommended by Father Lantom – was full of the sounds of children, nervous and excited, and their terrified parents. The air was heavy with the smell of crayon and markers, rustling construction paper, and simple, childish lunches in plastic lunchboxes. Peter's little hand in his, Matt's finger on the vein so he could feel his hummingbird heartbeat. They entered the little classroom together, Peter tugging on his hand.

"Daddy, there's big windows like we have at home," Peter declared. Matt smiled.

"Really?" Matt said. There were twenty small children and their parents bouncing around the space. "Where's your teacher, Miss Maloney? She can show us where your cubby is so we can put your stuff away."

Click of practical flats on tile.

"Oh, um, I'm right here!" she said, voice young and sweet. Matt smiled in her general direction, turning carefully.

"Good morning," Matt said, resting his hand on Peter's head. "We were just going to ask where we can put his stuff."

"That's no problem," Miss Maloney assured, no doubt staring at Matt's long white cane. "What's your name?"

"Peter Murdock!" Peter chirped, proud. "And this is my dad, Matthew Murdock."

Matt ruffled Peter's hair.

"Alright, follow me!"

Peter carefully placed his things in the cubby, Matt helping him carry his school supplies to his desk. Peter sat in the little chair, and Matt crouched down next to him.

"I've got to go to work now, so you be good," Matt said. "I'll be here to pick you up, then we'll go to my office and you can see your Auntie Karen and Uncle Foggy. How does that sound?"

Peter made a happy noise. "I can't wait to tell you all about my day!"

"And I can't wait to hear it," Matt assured. He kissed Peter's forehead. "You be good for Miss Maloney. Pay attention, school's very important. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy," Peter said. Matt kept tracked of Peter's heartbeat all the way down the block, until it was too far away to hear.

Matt knew that he would remember this moment as vividly as he remembered that one.

They had moved the furniture in the living room aside, something that rarely happened. The lights had not been turned on, and Matt imagined Peter only having the neon kaleidoscope billboard outside to see by.

He thought of Stick, and how he had given him even less.

"These people, from street thug to criminal mastermind, don't know you're a skinny sixteen year old," Matt said. "They probably wouldn't even care if they did know. Some of them started even younger."

Peter swallowed, shifted.

"You have advantages," Matt continued. "You're strong, you can climb walls, and, most importantly, you're fast. Not invincible, though. A bullet will still take you down."

"I need to learn how to dodge a bullet?" Peter asked, flippant. "My life is rapidly turning into a coming-of-age action film."

"The easiest way to dodge a bullet," Matt said. "Is to not let it fire at all."

"And you're my koan spewing mentor, alright," Peter said, sliding his foot back.

Matt tilted his head at the displacement of air, the shifting of muscle, Peter's quickened breathing. In their building, there was snoring and yelling and laughter, and the street outside was clamoring with the noise of the insomniac city. Their apartment smelt like the tuna casserole they had for dinner, the hypoallergenic laundry powder they used, the ink pens Peter liked, and the city smells of gasoline and fried food leaking through the tall windows.

Peter lunged forward, air moving in a rush. Matt easily side stepped him, hearing the thud of Peter's feet as he slid across the floor and attempted to stop his momentum. He stumbled, and Matt moved, sweeping out his leg. Peter fell flat on to his back.

"You telegraph," Matt said simply. "It makes it easy to counter you. I told you, you're fast, but you're not quite agile yet. Silence and shadow are your best friends out there."

Peter groaned, head thumping against the floor. Matt stepped back and assumed a fighter's stance.

"Come on, Peter," Matt said. "Get to work."

**Author's Note:**

> I do [commissions!](http://rainbowdracula.tumblr.com/post/121606093217/writing-commissions)
> 
>  
> 
> [Find me on Tumblr.](rainbowdracula.tumblr.com)


End file.
